Confirmed with Link: [EDM] Oilers extend Leon Draisaitl (8 Years, $14M AAV, NMC)

[Mr McV]

16 more points and Leon will pass Corey Perry on the active all-time scoring list.

Hopefully it takes more than 16 points. I don't want Perry to stop getting points.

 

[Faelko]

For those older than me, was this phenomenon the same with Messier et al in the 80's, or was there enough general maturity among fans and media at that point to recognize that the other superstars were also good entirely on their own?

Not really, nope. We used to hear all the time that Messier would be nothing without Gretzky, now that was mostly early on in their careers but some of the mouth breathers would try and bring it up later on as well.

 

[Fourier]

I wonder if when all is said and done, Draisaitl will surpass Messier as the 3rd best Oiler of all time. Might need a few dominant playoff runs/Cups and maybe another Hart or Conn Smythe trophy etc, but it's completely doable for a player of this caliber and he looks like he wants EVERYTHING this year.

Messier had the reputation as the legendary leader to go along with his hockey accomplishments. Fully deserved or not this and the 5 cups he won with the Oilers will probably prevent Draisaitl from ever being widely recognized as the better Oiler. But on a skill basis I think he has a legitimate chance. Of course in terms of pure skill you have to throw Coffey into the mix.

 

[Fourier]

For those older than me, was this phenomenon the same with Messier et al in the 80's, or was there enough general maturity among fans and media at that point to recognize that the other superstars were also good entirely on their own?

I think it was the opposite to be honest. Messier's reputation was augmented by being on the same team as Gretzky. Of course he did become a great player on his own but if he played anywhere close to Gretzky's level he would get the nod. Look no further than the 1984 Conn Smythe.

Now the one guy who probably did get this treatment was Kurri.

 

[Drivesaitl]

For those older than me, was this phenomenon the same with Messier et al in the 80's, or was there enough general maturity among fans and media at that point to recognize that the other superstars were also good entirely on their own?

Eastern media: Gretzky is a smallish trick pony that won't survive in the NHL "he won't last a season".

Toronto has ALWAYS been the same. Vancouver decided they hated Mess so much still, that they hated his tenure there and blamed him for bad weather.

People weren't saying the Mess-Gretzky feeds off thing because Mess was usually 2nd line with Anderson. Gretz settled in with Kurri, the thirds changed through the years.

Was there enough maturity? No, back then it seemed like every 2nd fan acted like Jim Matheson and critical AF. Sather several times had to get the media and fans to back off star players ranging from Mess, to Fuhr, Coffey etc. The fanbase was insufferably entitled. Any playoff exit back then people wanted an investigation and the very moment the cups stopped the fans, many of STH just pulled the plug and vanished. So that it was so easy to get tickets from even 90-on. Even in the 89-90 season many of the "diehards" lol checked out and weren't even going anymore. They'd just assumed the cup parade was over and 90 playoffs were f***ing fantastic, as were 91 and 92. I kept going throughout the 90's many games there weren't 13K people actually there. Jason Arnott would be booed insufferably despite him being very good and the best Oiler on the ice, and a rookie at that. Back then the biggest aggravation, before internet, was the next row wherever you sat saying Paul Coffey needs to get his head out of his ass, Sather should be fired, or Fuhr should be sent to the minors. Going to games you almost had to wear earphones to cut out some of the bigger inanity.

 

[Aerchon]

Just a personal preference. Not a "talent" thing.

I'm torn between who is my favorite Oiler is Draisaitl or Messier. With Draisaitl playing this dominate it's amazing to watch. Same with Messier back in the day.

After Gretzky left I lost a lot of excitement about him to the point where I just don't even feel like he is "that" special. Hopefully McDavid doesnt do the same so I dont retroactively forget how great he is.

But if I remove bitter bias Gretzky and McDavid are so comparable for how exciting they are to watch. While Messier and Draisaitl just dominate when they are playing well.

1. Draisaitl
2. Messier
3. McDavid
4. Gretzky

With honorable mentions of Roloson, Weight, Fuhr, Randford, Tikanen, and Hemsky,

 

[Senor Catface]

Drai has always been one of my favourite players, but my respect for him went up this year. Playing your best hockey after signing a contract that sets you up for life is something else. Shows a lot about his character and work ethic.

 

[McFlash97]

bUt he'S a PrOduCT oF McDAvID aND A Pp MErCHaNT!!!!
Unf***ingbelievable morons still say that nonsense about him especially this season.

Everybody on this team is a merchant of McDavid. If it isn't Draisaitl, its Hyman. If not Hyman, its Bouchard. Bunch of moronic lazy ass f***ing takes

Bro, why you getting so triggered over like 5 idiots prowling HF constantly throwing shade at Drai. It's literally only like 5 guys that do that in this site.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Eastern media: Gretzky is a smallish trick pony that won't survive in the NHL "he won't last a season".

Toronto has ALWAYS been the same. Vancouver decided they hated Mess so much still, that they hated his tenure there and blamed him for bad weather.

People weren't saying the Mess-Gretzky feeds off thing because Mess was usually 2nd line with Anderson. Gretz settled in with Kurri, the thirds changed through the years.

Was there enough maturity? No, back then it seemed like every 2nd fan acted like Jim Matheson and critical AF. Sather several times had to get the media and fans to back off star players ranging from Mess, to Fuhr, Coffey etc. The fanbase was insufferably entitled. Any playoff exit back then people wanted an investigation and the very moment the cups stopped the fans, many of STH just pulled the plug and vanished. So that it was so easy to get tickets from even 90-on. Even in the 89-90 season many of the "diehards" lol checked out and weren't even going anymore. They'd just assumed the cup parade was over and 90 playoffs were f***ing fantastic, as were 91 and 92. I kept going throughout the 90's many games there weren't 13K people actually there. Jason Arnott would be booed insufferably despite him being very good and the best Oiler on the ice, and a rookie at that. Back then the biggest aggravation, before internet, was the next row wherever you sat saying Paul Coffey needs to get his head out of his ass, Sather should be fired, or Fuhr should be sent to the minors. Going to games you almost had to wear earphones to cut out some of the bigger inanity.

The same Eastern media was saying how Jason Robertson was better than Connor McDavid a year or 2 ago.

Stan Fischler or w/e his name is.

Drai has always been one of my favourite players, but my respect for him went up this year. Playing your best hockey after signing a contract that sets you up for life is something else. Shows a lot about his character and work ethic.

In years past he went through periods of looking like he was just coasting.

He looks like hes bringing it 100% of the time.

 

[rboomercat90]

The same Eastern media was saying how Jason Robertson was better than Connor McDavid a year or 2 ago.

Stan Fischler or w/e his name is.


In years past he went through periods of looking like he was just coasting.

He looks like hes bringing it 100% of the time.

Wow. I didn’t know Stan Fischler was still alive. He is, I checked. He’s 92 now and apparently still writing. I remember him from the 80’s constantly writing Oiler hit pieces. My favourite was the one he wrote for Hockey Digest where he broke down why Michel Goulet was a superior player to Mark Messier. Hockey writers have always be useless hacks.

 

[K1984]

Eastern media: Gretzky is a smallish trick pony that won't survive in the NHL "he won't last a season".

Toronto has ALWAYS been the same. Vancouver decided they hated Mess so much still, that they hated his tenure there and blamed him for bad weather.

People weren't saying the Mess-Gretzky feeds off thing because Mess was usually 2nd line with Anderson. Gretz settled in with Kurri, the thirds changed through the years.

Was there enough maturity? No, back then it seemed like every 2nd fan acted like Jim Matheson and critical AF. Sather several times had to get the media and fans to back off star players ranging from Mess, to Fuhr, Coffey etc. The fanbase was insufferably entitled. Any playoff exit back then people wanted an investigation and the very moment the cups stopped the fans, many of STH just pulled the plug and vanished. So that it was so easy to get tickets from even 90-on. Even in the 89-90 season many of the "diehards" lol checked out and weren't even going anymore. They'd just assumed the cup parade was over and 90 playoffs were f***ing fantastic, as were 91 and 92. I kept going throughout the 90's many games there weren't 13K people actually there. Jason Arnott would be booed insufferably despite him being very good and the best Oiler on the ice, and a rookie at that. Back then the biggest aggravation, before internet, was the next row wherever you sat saying Paul Coffey needs to get his head out of his ass, Sather should be fired, or Fuhr should be sent to the minors. Going to games you almost had to wear earphones to cut out some of the bigger inanity.

The part about Arnott was funny. I was in early elementary school during his tenure here and I remember at a family dinner a few of my uncles were ripping him and hoping we dealt him. I remember sitting there quietly thinking “what the hell are they talking about, he’s good.”

At that age I couldn’t decipher much more than goals and points to determine the quality of player, but is funny when I think about it in hindsight.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Wow. I didn’t know Stan Fischler was still alive. He is, I checked. He’s 92 now and apparently still writing. I remember him from the 80’s constantly writing Oiler hit pieces. My favourite was the one he wrote for Hockey Digest where he broke down why Michel Goulet was a superior player to Mark Messier. Hockey writers have always be useless hacks.

search up this

"Fischler Report: McDavid Is the Most Spectacular – But Isn’t the Best"

He's always been an idiot, he cant even blame it on being old, he'd probably make a great calgarypuck poster with how dumb his takes are and how anti oiler they are.

"Right this minute, there’s a better all-around player roaming the NHL than McDavid. That happens to be Jason Robertson of Dallas, a fellow who does what McDavid does not."

This idiot failed to recognize that Ovechkin became a "winner" at like 31 which was 4-5 years older than McDavid was when this article was written.

 

[NashtoNowitzki]

I wonder if when all is said and done, Draisaitl will surpass Messier as the 3rd best Oiler of all time. Might need a few dominant playoff runs/Cups and maybe another Hart or Conn Smythe trophy etc, but it's completely doable for a player of this caliber and he looks like he wants EVERYTHING this year.

There was a thread a few months ago arguing Mcdavid v Messier. I know you're not gonna believe this, but it was close.

There are several 50-65 year olds is using this website with brains made of banana nut loaf.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

There was a thread a few months ago arguing Mcdavid v Messier. I know you're not gonna believe this, but it was close.

There are several 50-65 year olds is using this website with brains made of banana nut loaf.

McDavid is closer to Gretzky than Messier is to McDavid.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Wow. I didn’t know Stan Fischler was still alive. He is, I checked. He’s 92 now and apparently still writing. I remember him from the 80’s constantly writing Oiler hit pieces. My favourite was the one he wrote for Hockey Digest where he broke down why Michel Goulet was a superior player to Mark Messier. Hockey writers have always be useless hacks.

I've known some writers. "hockey journalism" at the time (and probably now) was considered just below writing the hog market reviews, and less lucrative. Lol I knew somebody writing the latter as well. There was a time not long ago, you or others older would remember, when sports just wasn't a big deal. Pro sports wasn't a big deal. Its something you went to, paid hardly anything to get in, and scribes just showed up (like Terry Jones) and were hired on the sport for writing in their school paper. Something probably a lot of us did. This new time frame where sports is a big deal and hangers on considered a big deal. For sure it wasn't always like that. Bill Hunter the founder of the Oilers was just a step above Carnival Hucksters and the people putting together "Stampede and Klondike Wrestling" Even within my lifetime, when I was 4 attending first Oil Kings game at Edmonton Gardens they really had to promote hard just to get people to come and for a dozen yrs that club was the highest level of hockey in town after the Flyers ended.

Even going to sports then, it wasn't a big deal. It was second to people going to movies, drive ins, racetrack (autos or horses) going to plays, Auditorium, Music halls with live bands playing etc. Still the day as well when Legends like Led Sep, Jethro Tull, Buddy Holly actually played at the Gardens. Those were events. The "writers" of those concert reviews were just people, hippies, that went to the shows and wrote a review on a manual typewriter and maybe dropped it off at Edmonton Journal DT. heh Some got a writing gig out of it as well.

100yrs ago and NHL as we know it hardly even existed. it did, in name but was still a timeframe where upstart clubs from anywhere would throw a team together, have some backers, hop on a train and challenge for the SC. At that time the "writers" were usually just somebody there that happened to write some about a game or tournament and sent it on the wires.

Wayne Overland was the one good local hockey or sports writer back then. A cut way above the rest. An actual writer. Unfortunately he stopped writing and made way for the Matheson and Jones level amateurs.

 

[Drivesaitl]

McDavid is closer to Gretzky than Messier is to McDavid.

People don't believe me when I say it but around start of Oilers in NHL Glenn Anderson came in our second season and was more talented than Messier. I went back with Mess. Seeing him in AJHL, WHA, he wasn't special back then, and the guy would barely ever score. Mark is somebody that had the fortune to play around greatness and willed himself to be the absolute best he could be. By a couple more seasons Mess was leaving Anderson in the dust. But it was a skill guy like Andy too that made Mark want to be a lot better.

Mess only ever became an Oiler because Sather was coach in WHA (also playing coach) and remembered a not even 18yr old Mark Messier running around in a game as a forechecker with an edge, and the Oilers sent a tough after him (I forget who) and Mess tuned that guy in. Clocked him. Thats what Mark was at the time, speed, forecheck, and mean streak he got from his dad Doug Messier, his former coach. Sather never forgot it so the tough Messier was intriguing on that alone as well as his speed. In some way Mark reminded Sather of himself. Skating, edge, no fear and work as hard as possible all the time.

Messier didn't have filthy skilll. He had ambition, drive, work ethic to be the best he could be. Some legendary will, and jets. Nobody worked harder than Mark though once they arrived in the Pro game.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

So here's a question for all of you...

Do you think The Kaiser could hit 60 this season? I'd say there's a 40% shot tbh.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

People don't believe me when I say it but around start of Oilers in NHL Glenn Anderson came in our second season and was more talented than Messier. I went back with Mess. Seeing him in AJHL, WHA, he wasn't special back then, and the guy would barely ever score. Mark is somebody that had the fortune to play around greatness and willed himself to be the absolute best he could be. By a couple more seasons Mess was leaving Anderson in the dust. But it was a skill guy like Andy too that made Mark want to be a lot better.

Mess only ever became an Oiler because Sather was coach in WHA (also playing coach) and remembered a not even 18yr old Mark Messier running around in a game as a forechecker with an edge, and the Oilers sent a tough after him (I forget who) and Mess tuned that guy in. Clocked him. Thats what Mark was at the time, speed, forecheck, and mean streak he got from his dad Doug Messier, his former coach. Sather never forgot it so the tough Messier was intriguing on that alone as well as his speed. In some way Mark reminded Sather of himself. Skating, edge, no fear and work as hard as possible all the time.

Messier didn't have filthy skilll. He had ambition, drive, work ethic to be the best he could be. Some legendary will, and jets. Nobody worked harder than Mark though once they arrived in the Pro game.

I grew up with my parents as Oiler fans, while living in Calgary,

"so they're the good guys."

They always remind me how nuts Anderson was for cutting towards the net and how the pegs had to be changed.

90% of my extended family grew up in millwoods.

Messier reminds me alot of Hyman with how his work ethic gets him by, obviously Hyman isnt Messier though.

So here's a question for all of you...

Do you think The Kaiser could hit 60 this season? I'd say there's a 40% shot tbh.

Nope, I think both him and Mcdavid hit 50 though.

These guys are so close theres no way McDavid doesn't re-sign for 8 though.

 

[TheGingaNinja]

From what I remember, it wasn't really the same with Messier as it is with Drai. There weren't nearly as many 'product of' thoughts about him. However, he didn't really get the personal glory/leader accolades as much until they won without Gretz in 90, and then later on when he won with the Rangers. After that the leadership legend (whether you agree with it or not) was cemented.

At least that's how I remember it. I was 17 in 90, so it might be a little fuzzy. There was much booze and girl chasing distracting me from hockey then.

Sigh, I'm old.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I grew up with my parents as Oiler fans, while living in Calgary,

"so they're the good guys."

They always remind me how nuts Anderson was for cutting towards the net and how the pegs had to be changed.

90% of my extended family grew up in millwoods.

Messier reminds me alot of Hyman with how his work ethic gets him by, obviously Hyman isnt Messier though.


Nope, I think both him and Mcdavid hit 50 though.

These guys are so close theres no way McDavid doesn't re-sign for 8 though.

Andy was special. had played on the Canadian Olympic team in 80 and was one of the harder players to contain. For years Andy was our underknown star. Always there for playoffs too. In 81 the Habs knew they had to contain the Skill of Gretz, they understood it, players like Anderson came at them completely by surprise.

Anderson was a cheap teams star player. He just happened to be on a club overshadowed by the Likes of Coffey and Gretz. But in Playoffs there were few better and in that rookie season Andy put up 5G, 7A 12pts in a special 9games. he'd arrived in style In that playoffs and others Glenn was 2nd only to Gretzky.

Andy was a supreme skater and would beat D contain for fun. Had filthy hands as well once he got close in. Lots of beauty highlight reel goals. The speed combo of players like Andy, Mess, Coffey was unreal and blow opponents out of the rink. They had no answer to that speed/skill.